As an optical disc, BD (Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark)), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), CD (Compact Disc), and the like are known.
Each category of BD, DVD, and CD includes, as a read-only optical disc, BD-ROM (Blu-ray Disc-Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc-Read Only Memory), CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), respectively.
In these read-only discs, contents data of music and picture are recorded as data that is not physically rewritable such as emboss pit, for example. To manufacture the read-only disc, first, master data containing contents data is prepared in authoring. Then, in mastering step in a practical factory, a master disc in which a concavo-convex pit array based on the master data containing the contents data and management information is formed is produced, and then master disc and a stamper are manufactured. Then, optical discs are mass-produced by using the stamper.
In this way, the read-only discs in which the same data is recorded are mass-produced with the same title (as discs containing the same content).
On the other hand, as described in the above-described PTLs 1 and 2, a method of adding unique information to each of read-only discs mass-produced in a state of containing the same data has been known.
The method is typified by a method using BCA (Burst Cutting Area).
For example, in an optical disc such as BD and DVD, BCA is provided in a predetermined region in an inner peripheral side of a disc, as a bar-code-shaped recording region.
The BCA is a region from which information is allowed to be read out without tracking because a radial pattern is formed as regions different in reflectance. In particular, the BCA is used as a region where information unique to a disc can be added to the optical discs mass-produced, such as information including serial number, for example.
Specifically, the BCA makes it possible to write serial number, disc information, and the like into inner periphery (for example, a region of radius of 21 to 22 mm) of a signal region for each disc by a BCA recording apparatus through offline, to thereby enable management for each disc, after the optical disc is completed through manufacturing steps.